When looking at the fascinating, though wildly different, women that appeared on some of the most-read Glamour covers of 2024, one thing is clear: honest storytelling was the unifying theme. When you're a celebrity, it's easy to do the bare minimum when agreeing to a magazine cover: show up, take a few pretty pictures, and give an interview that can best be described as meh. Happily, this was not the case in 2024, as each actor, musician, athlete, and activist we featured came ready to do the absolute most.
And you, our readers, responded. The minutes spent on Sophia Bush's April cover, in which she honestly wrote about the anguish of being targeted by the internet over her new relationship with former soccer player Ashlyn Harris and how she's never felt more like herself in spite of the vitriol, was astounding. Likewise, images and video of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie playing Glamour Editor-in-Chiefs for a day went viral in November, as did our deeply honest profile of Olympic champion gymnast Suni Lee, who was coming off one of the most challenging years of her life, both personally and professionally, when our story ran in October.
And let's not forget our Women of the Year group cover with Tina Knowles, Donna Kelce, Maggie Baird, and Mandy Teefey—also known as the moms who raised some of the world's biggest superstars; our global profile on the captivating Lupita Nyong’o a decade after she rose to fame, a look at Christina Aguilera's enduring impact on pop music, a spotlight on two remarkable reproductive-rights activists who turned unspeakable pain into action, and more.
Enjoy 12 of our best Glamour covers from 2024, below.
Sophia Bush: ‘I Finally Feel Like I Can Breathe’
By Sophia Bush
In 2023 actor Sophia Bush made headlines when she filed for divorce a year after a fairytale wedding. By the fall it was public knowledge that she was in a new relationship. With a woman. The internet seemed to be foaming at the digital mouth for a scandal—there was a lot to unpack—but to those who knew her, it was clear she’d never been more herself. In her own words—and in one of the most viral Glamour covers—Bush writes honestly about the power of finally learning to listen to her intuition.
They Raised the World’s Biggest Stars. Now They’re Telling Their Own Stories.
By Samantha Barry
As part of Glamour's 2024 Women of the Year package, we highlighted four spectacular women—Tina Knowles, Donna Kelce, Maggie Baird, and Mandy Teefey, aka “the moms”—who raised some of the world's biggest super stars. In our cover story, the women talk sacrifice, stardom, ambition, and what’s next.
Paris and Nicole, Revisited
By Perrie Samotin
Twenty years after their boundary-pushing reality show The Simple Life, pop culture’s most beloved duo is back with a new project. Just don’t call it a reboot. Here, they open up about always being in on the joke, their lifelong friendship, tabloid trauma, motherhood, and why we just can’t seem to quit Paris and Nicole. Be sure to watch our short film that shows what happens when Paris and Nicole become Glamour EICs for a day.
Suni Lee Is So Ready for What’s Next
By Emily Tannenbaum
After winning gold at the Olympics in Tokyo, the Team USA gymnast and one of Glamour's 2024 Women of the Year, battled inner demons, online critics, and kidney disease to make it back to the 2024 Paris Games. On the heels of a big move to New York City, she’s ready to embark on a new adventure and opens up about it all.
Lupita Nyong’o Always Lands on Her Feet
By Ariana Yaptangco
It's been a decade after Nyong’o made her Hollywood debut and indelible mark on fashion. While much has changed since she won that life-changing Academy Award, the actor is still finding new ways to challenge herself. For Glamour’s June global cover, the A Quiet Place: Day One star reflects on her ever-evolving relationship with fame and the healing that comes from fear and heartbreak.
Christina Aguilera Is Only Human
By Christopher Rosa
It’s been 25 years since the world first heard “Genie in a Bottle” and a culture-shifting pop star was born. A lot has happened in the quarter century since, and Aguilera—our August cover star— opens up about it all: fame, the ruthless ’00s tabloids, bucking convention, label drama, the power of saying no, and—her proudest accomplishment—motherhood. (She also made a fun video revisiting y2k trends, which you can see here!)
Sydney Sweeney Is Building an Empire
By Anna Moeslein
There’s no question the Anyone But You star—one of our 2024 Women of the Year—has already “made it.” It’s what comes next that will make her a Hollywood legend. Here—from the comfort of her own home—she opens up about what success means to her and what the future holds.
Serena Williams Still Plays to Win
By Mattie Kahn
The GOAT—also known as one our 2024 Women of the Year—may be done with tennis, but she has her sights set on a new kind of international domination. Read all about it one of our 2024 global Glamour covers.
Pamela Anderson: ‘Instead of Being This Polished Person, I’d Rather be Raw’
By Emily Maddick
After a lifetime of being objectified, Pamela Anderson, a global Woman of the Year in 2024, is entering a new era—and seizing control.
The Abortion Activists Turning Pain Into Power
By Stephanie McNeal
Through their willingness to share the most intimate details of their personal trauma, Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall—both of whom were honored as part of our 2024 Women of the Year class—have risen to the forefront of the fight for reproductive justice, and may help restore abortion rights for all American women.
Taraji P. Henson Is Protecting Her Peace
By Alanna Bennett
When Henson spoke out on pay inequity in Hollywood during an interview in December 2023, the world took notice. “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” she said, wiping tears from her face. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.” It wasn’t the first time a Black woman had spoken up about the issue, but something about the actor's raw emotion struck a chord. As one of Glamour's 2024 Women of the Year, Henson opens up about fighting for hat she believes in, her advocacy work, and more.
The Evolution of Allyson Felix
By Macaela MacKenzie
She might be retired, but in some ways the Olympic track-and-field legend is just getting started. She’s got a new baby, a forthcoming memoir, a nonstop commitment to mothers in sports, and—as a result of her tireless advocacy—a $20 million grant from Melinda French Gates.